Ever Ever
by Foxy'sGirl
Summary: Astrid should be careful with what she tells people. Follows Defenders of Berk Episode "Appetite for Destruction."


**Follows "Appetite for Destruction"**

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"Hey Hiccup," Astrid greets, probably too chipper as she rounds the corner into the academy, stopping just short of tripping on a rambunctious territorial Terror.

"Ah, sorry," he calls out, obviously distracted by the stubborn dragon as he runs over, scooping up the tiny reptile like an overgrown cat and holding it artfully away from his face. The dragon nips at his hair and gleefully puffs a mouthful of smoke in Hiccup's face, warbling almost like laughter.

"How's airmail going?" Astrid asks cheekily, reaching out and tickling the Terror's chin, so that he purrs quietly and drops the now drool covered shoulder of Hiccup's fur vest. "And you do know that you can take breaks from dragon training, right?" She backs up to perch on the edge of a water tank and watches Hiccup put the feisty Terror down with a fond pat to his small scaly head.

"He's almost getting the hang of the delivering, but I can't call him anywhere?" Hiccup scratches his head, ambling over to lean beside Astrid. She scoots sideways to make room and crosses her arms.

"Maybe try a different Terror?" She suggests and he shakes his head.

"Nah, this guy is smart…a little wily, but super smart," he frowns. "I thought we were doing so well earlier until it took so long for Snotlout to get the message that we needed back-up."

"You did send an important message to Snotlout and the twins, what were you really expecting?" She asks, looking down and kicking curiously at the side of his good foot.

"Ow, what was that for?" He flinches and she shrugs innocently. He rolls his eyes and answers her question, doomed to deal with the violence, but not very upset about it. "I guess you're right. Maybe we should put someone on shift at the academy or something."

"You can't take five minutes to relax, can you?" She asks, ignoring how hypocritical the request feels. "We scared away the screaming death today, sit down."

"Oh wow, I must be crazy. Astrid Hofferson is telling me to relax—Ow!" He flinches away from her well-aimed elbow.

"Come on, I didn't even hit you."

"You tried to," he challenges, leaning cautiously away from her. She laughs and shakes her head, nudging him almost carefully with her shoulder.

He's gotten taller, and she wonders how long she really has until he catches up.

"You're such a baby."

"Oh, and what exactly are you doing here?" He asks accusingly, gesturing to the academy at large.

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you at the dragon training academy if it's obsessive to be training dragons right now…at the dragon training academy," He rephrases the question and she rolls her eyes.

Of course she came down here looking for Hiccup, but she's not going to tell him that. That's like the first rule of competition, you never admit weakness to the enemy.

Well, not exactly enemy…

"I think I left my hatchet here," she explains nonchalant, looking around the arena hyper-casually. "Have you seen it?"

"I saw you chasing Tuffnut with it like an hour ago," he raises his eyebrows and she glares at him.

Why is he so observant?

"Right, I must have left it up in town somewhere," she pushes off of the tank, angrier than she should be that his stupid helpful nature thwarted her grand plan. "I'll go look for it."

"Erm, Astrid? It's hanging from your belt," he offers, pointing sheepishly at the probably at least vaguely bloody weapon hooked through her skull adorned skirt.

"Don't you have _training_ to do?" She asks, hands on her hips.

"Right, I have to come up with some new dastardly plan to make you kiss Snotlout," he rubs his palms together as menacingly as she can manage and she glares at him. "What? I've got a bet about who will die first."

"Out of who?" She swallows a laugh she would deny at the threat of her life.

"Him or me."

"Definitely you," she retorts and he looks vaguely hurt. "Only because Snotlout's head is so thick it'll take a few extra hits."

"Fair enough," he laughs. "And anyway, Fishlegs already thwarted that plan." She cocks her head and he raises his hands in mock surrender. "Don't worry, he let me down easy?"

"What?"

"He told me that no one would ever be kissing you on the lips…ever. Maybe ever ever? I forgot how many ever's he said." Hiccup continues with a too revealing shrug. "He seemed to think I'd be pretty cut up about it."

"Well, I'm sure you are," she ignores her flush and stays strong, refusing to backpedal. After an anxious-foot tapping moment, the silence becomes too dense and she bites her lip, senaking a glance at him. "Are you?"

"I'm not too cut up that you didn't kiss Fishlegs," he admits quietly. "Or Snotlout."

"Then why did you try and get me to follow through on that stupid bet?" She asks, falsely light.

Very suddenly, she wants him to be tremendously upset that she vowed not to kiss him.

"Because it's fun to tease you." Hiccup admits with a shrug that makes her clench her fists and annoyingly want to hug him all at once.

She cracks her neck and thinks too hard.

"I'll show you fun to tease," she threatens, because a minute of untoward pacifism won't stop her from plowing stubbornly forward. He leans back in wide-eyed surrender and she releases her fingers, cocking her head at him expectantly. "Thirty seconds."

"Thirty seconds until what?" He asks, almost panicking.

"Until you regret teasing me."

"I already do, I really didn't need to think about you kissing Snotlout," he blurts and she's almost appeased.

"Then why'd you bring it up again?" She asks, looking at him like he's a few spikes short of a Nadder tail.

"Because I'm an idiot?" He suggests quietly, relaxing when she shrugs, and her fists comfortingly unfurl.

"Good enough," she relaxes, tapping her foot and examining the dirt under her fingernails.

"So is it true?" He asks nervously, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

"Is what true?"

"I mean, did Fishlegs mean ever, or ever ever?" He tries again.

"Stop being a girl and spit it out."

"The kissing thing," he blurts and for a second he's far too close to her and too far away all at once. She shrugs.

"Nah," Astrid steps forward and ducks down, planting her lips against his for a brief second before pulling away with a grin.

"Erm…ok," he mumbles, rubbing a hand up the back of his bright red neck. "Then why'd you tell Fishlegs that?"

"To keep things interesting," she shrugs, enjoying his embarrassment far more than she probably should.

"Inconsistent, Hofferson."

"Unexpected," she corrects with a grin. "Anyway, I guess I'm going to go…cut stuff." She pulls her hatchet out of her belt and flicks it into the air, catching it neatly. "So I'll see you later?"

"Sure, Astrid. Later."

She glances over her shoulder, finally blushing as she jogs out of the arena.

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**Well, sometimes you just have to plunge and write something. **

**Reviews are much appreciated, because I am wildly nervous about posting this! Even if it's horrible, please oh please just tell me what you think. **


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